Pochettino only need look at Moussa Sissoko to know Vincent Janssen could reignite Spurs career

According to a recent report from The Daily Mail, Vincent Janssen’s future at Tottenham remains uncertain heading into the rest of the January transfer window. The 24-year-old made the move to the Premier League outfit back in the summer of 2016 after impressing at AZ, although a lack of regular game time under Mauricio Pochettino in the last few years has called his future at the club into question.

And reports suggest that the Netherlands international could be offloaded this month in a bid for regular first team football, yet manager Pochettino only need look at Moussa Sissoko’s remarkable resurgence to know that Janssen could well revive his own Spurs career.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, it looked for all the world that France international Sissoko would leave Tottenham during the summer transfer window, what with the midfielder seriously struggling to make a meaningful impact at the club following his move from Newcastle United back in 2016.

The 29-year-old may well have appeared 25 times in the Premier League in his first season at Spurs and then 33 the campaign after in their run to third place under Pochettino, but most of those were from the substitute’s bench to underline his lowly position in the pecking order – the likes of Eric Dier, Mousa Dembele, and Victor Wanyama were comfortably better options.

Yet this season has seen Sissoko produce a level previously unseen during his time in North London to become a hugely integral member of Pochettino’s squad, with the Frenchman having appeared in each of their last 15 Premier League matches, starting 13 of them.

And with plenty of impressive displays in that time in showing a relentless work-ethic off the ball but also genuine quality on it, Sissoko is now one of the main men in Pochettino’s midfield – it has been a staggering rise.

And that should be in the back of Pochettino’s mind when it comes to the future of Dutchman Janssen as, like Sissoko, he hasn’t enjoyed the best of years at the North London club, but it’s clear that there is an accomplished striker in the 24-year-old.

Ultimately, it was always going to be difficult for Janssen to show exactly what he could do given he was never likely to dispose Harry Kane of the main striker’s role at Tottenham, and so it has proven given the Netherlands international has netted just six times for Spurs in 39 appearances.

Yet what was clear, certainly from his debut campaign at the club, was how much he wanted to succeed in a Tottenham shirt, with the 24-year-old showing a great work-ethic in leading from the front whenever he was on the pitch in chasing down lost causes and pressurising the opposition backline.

Interestingly, his goal against Bournemouth back in April 2017, his only Premier League goal from open play so far, earned the biggest cheer of the day despite Tottenham leading 3-0 at the time of the goal – the fans want him to succeed given just how much he gives to the side even when he isn’t scoring.

Yes, Spurs are very much looking up and will need quality players in the squad to deputise for Kane were he to get injured or suspended, but given Sissoko has come in from the cold to become a key player under Pochettino, the same could well happen with Janssen.